About: This is a novel of Ireland, of famine, of emigration and of new lives forged in foreign lands. Using her personal family history and scaffolding the narrative with actual historical events the author, Maureen Francis Doyle, has created an utterly believable story. Her great grandfather, John Doyle, left Ireland in 1848, never to return. This book is one imagined scenario of his subsequent experiences. Numerous descendants of the Irish diaspora could have a similar story to tell, but it is doubtful if many could render it so skilfully and in such compelling fashion.

ID number(s): 9781478758709

Chapters: [Part I] A Note Before You Begin the Journey – Wicklow, Ireland – Thomas and Winfred – Samuel and Charlotte Castleford & The Lord Fitzpatrick Estate – Typhoid Fever – Time to Leave Ireland – The Shillelagh Workhouse – Probationary Ward and Employment — Journey to the Ship. [Part II] Sailing to America – Liverpool – Life at Sea – Quebec – The Orphan House – The Journey Continues – Kingston. [Part III] Arrival – The Farm – Potash and Settling in – Challenges – The Auction – The Family Arrives – A New Life – Grand Trunk Railroad & the First Real Christmas — The Wedding – A New Family and War – Newburgh Academy – William – The Keilty Saloon – The Boxing Match / William’s Departure – Joseph and Mary Francis – John – A Note on History by Jim Rees.

WW Connection #1: The family of the real-life John Doyle lived in the Coolkenno / Shillelagh area of in West Wicklow.

Extra #1: Opening lines: “There is nothing colder than an Irish winter. John stood in the frigid air pulling his thin coat around him feeling the cold seep through the cloth….”

About: To commemorate the centenary of the founding of the Gaelic Athletic Association each county in Ireland produced a book on the history of the GAA in that county. This is Wicklow’s contribution and what a contribution it is. A massive 638-page volume details 100 years of Gaelic Games activities in the county. It includes club histories, significant results and teamsheets all set against the context of 100 years of local and national history.

ID number(s): None

Contents: Author’s Note – Focal ón gCathaoirleach – Thanks – Dialann Seachtaine i gClub i 1984 – The First Convention – The Power and the Politics – How it all began – The Years of Struggle 1887-1929 – [Club Histories Section] – Annacurra – Arklow Rock Parnells – Arklow Geraldines – Ashford – Avoca – Avondale – Aughrim – Ballinacor – Ballinastoe – Ballymanus – Ballymoney – Baltinglass – Barndarrig – Blessington – Bray Emmets – Carnew Emmets – Coolboy – Coolkenno – Donard – Dunlavin – Enniskerry – Forestry College – Bray – Glenealy – Greystones – Hollywood – Kilbride – Kilcoole – Killiskey – Kilmacanogue – Kiltegan – Knockananna – Lacken – Laragh – Newcastle – Newtown – Rathdangan – Roundwood – Rathnew – Shillelagh – Stratford – St. Kevin’s, Bray – St. Patrick’s – St. Fergal’s – The Glen of Imaal – Tinahely – Tuckmill – Valleymount — The Men of the West / Peter Keogh – In the deep South / Seamus O’Duinn – Along the East Coast – Report from the North / Tommy Coleman – [Some Other Clubs Section] – Ballinglen – Grangecon – Ballykillageer – Crossbridge – Ballinatona – Whitestown – Glenmalure – Ballyteskin – Glassnarget – Moneystown – Delgany – Redcross – Brittas – Hacketstown – Ballycoogue – Eire Óg/Greystones – The Greatest Wicklow Team – A leader from Killiskey – One of Wicklow’s Biggest days – Six Wicklow Teams Played in Wexford – The Year Wicklow Reached the Leinster Senior Final – A Trip to Clonskeagh in 1889 – How I Became a Referee / Eamonn Moules – The Perils of Refereeing! / Jimmy Hatton – The day of the ‘Long Count’ – From Kilcoole to San Francisco / Jimmy Hatton – Cumann Luth-Chleas Gael na nGairm Scol / Hugh O’Brien – When Wicklow Played Senior Hurling – Wicklow’s First Hurling Win – Champions of Leinster 1954 [ballad] / Jimmy Smullen – The Rise of Wicklow Hurling / Jackie Napier – The Year Sixty-Seven an All Ireland Success [poem] / Jimmy Smullen – The Hurling Resurgence – In Luton Town / N. J. Lawlor – Three Finals 1971 [ballad] / Jimmy Smullen – The Day Wicklow Won Their First All-Ireland – The Men of Thirty-six [ballad] / Jimmy Smullen – Leinster Champions in 1949 – A Great Leinster Junior Football Final – Dunlavin’s Finest Hour / Johnny Kelly – A Report from the Wee North / Pat McEntaggart – Happy Days in Barndarrig / Patrick Furlong – The Great 1969 Junior Team – The Match I Refereed Without a Watch / Eamonn Moules – Some of Wicklow’s Football Greats – The “Blues” had the Touch of Class – The Day Blessington Won the Big One! — A Wicklow Final Played in Carlow – Lest we Forget / George Nichols – A Flashback to 1952 –“C. M.” was the G.A.A – The ‘Exiles’ Played a Major Role – The day that Ashford Broke the Barrier / Tom McHugh – The Man Who Made it to the Top – A Record Breaker from Avoca – Hugh McCarthy “The Man from Ballinaclash” / Jimmy Dunne – The Centenary Year – A Laois Man Looks at Wicklow – The Men at the Helm – The Railway Cup Men – A Note from the Early Days – County Officers for Centenary Year – Getting the Scores – Battles in the Boardroom – The Day Ashford Rocked Rathnew – Bord na nÓg / Seamus O’Duinn – The Good Samaritans – The Day that Wicklow Shocked Wexford – The Day of the Shambles in Aughrim – Newtown’s First Senior Championship Win / Michael Crinnion – Kilbride’s Big Day in 1962 / Charlie Roe – SCÓR – The Wintertime Winner / Tomas Breathnach – A Place to Play – Memories from the West / Joe Deering – Santa Came Early to Glenealy! / Tommy Glynn – The Role of the Rúnai / Liam O Cathain – The Crystal Ball! – O’Byrne Cup and National League Wins – Arklow Showed the Way – History Makers – The Ban – The Dublin Connection – The Under-Age Scene – A Great Woman – A World Champion from Wicklow Town – Two Famous Wicklow Men – Special Trophies for County Championship Winners 1984 – Feach MacHugh O’Byrne’s Last Words [poem] – The Battle of Dernamuck [ballad] – Random Reflections – The Blackbird of Sweet Avondale [ballad] – Camogie Flowed Like the Tide / Mary Moran – A Thought for the New Century – [Camogie Section] — The Wicklow Camogie Story – Camogie Down the Years – Great Wicklow Camogie Teams – When Wicklow Were Expelled – The Year Wexford Nearly Got Us – All-Ireland Stars – The Day the Man Wore a Skirt – Arklow – the Cradle of Wicklow Camogie / Nancy Lynch-Quinn – Glenealy were in a Class Apart – When St. Martin’s won County Titles – Along by the Dargle – Hollywood in the Rare Ould Times / Brid Ni Bishman – Great Days in Ballyrichard – Activity in Kilmacanogue – Donard Michael Dwyers – Aughrim Camogie Club – Avoca – the Current Champions – Champions from Stratford – Shillelagh – a Camogie Stronghold – Camogie on Wicklow Town / Angela Cullen (nee Quinn) – Hollywood Won Three Titles – Kiltegan Won Five Senior Camogie Titles – Game is Flourishing in Knockananna – Annacurra’s Headquarters was “Sweeney’s Island” – Some of the Other Camogie Clubs – Senior Camogie Winners – Far Away in France and Flanders [poem] / W.J. Duffy – The Wicklow Vales [ballad] / Fr. Butler – [Handball Section] — Handball in Wicklow – The Handball Story / Dick Arnold – [Record Section] – The Eight Red Letter Days – Centenary Year Results – County Teams Centenary Year – Champions in the Centenary Year – The First Thirty Years – Roll of Honour – Final Score for Sixty Years – Football Champions – Hurling Champions – Inter-County Senior and Minor Football Teams 1937-1983 – The Junior Footballers – Senior “B” Hurling Championship – Intermediate Hurling Championship – The Junior Hurlers – Vocational Schools Roll of Honour – Wicklow Handball Wins – The Lady Handballers – Handball Champions – Wicklow Handball Championships – The Last Word.

Publisher / Place of Publication: Archaeology Ireland / Media House, South County Business Park, Dublin 18.

About: This is a glossy A4 brochure which folds out to the equivalent of six A4-size pages. It is Number 51 in the Archaeology Ireland Heritage Guide Series. It is a beautifully presented summation of what is known about the hillfort of Rathgall in South West Wicklow.

ID number(s): None. The ID number 0790-892X printed on the brochure relates to the journal ‘Archaeology Ireland’.

Contents: Introduction – Visible features – The excavation – Rathgall through time – The hillfort ramparts – The area within rampart 1 – The eastern area of industrial activity – The eastern Bronze Age burial complex – Iron Age, medieval and post-medieval activity – Further reading.

About: This comprehensive listing and brief descriptions of more than 500 protected structures throughout all the county is Appendix 4 of the second volume of the Wicklow County Development Plan covering the period 2010 to 2016. It covers all types of structures including private houses, country houses, rectories, churches, commercial buildings, bridges, schools, pubs, hotels, street furniture etc.

About: Tithe Applotment Books were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in an attempt to determine how much the holders of agricultural land over 1 acre should pay in taxes or tithes to the established Church of Ireland. These books list the name of the head of each relevant household outside of urban areas. A Tithe Applotment book was compiled for each Church of Ireland parish. Some of the transcribed names of people and places are not 100% accurate, but the original entries may be viewed for clarification.

About: An article that tries to place Rathgall Hillfort in the context of Irish prehistory as described in various ancient tracts. It also attempts to match the site to that identified as Dunum by Ptolemy the Greek in the second century A.D.